AN Sorry it's taken so long for the new chapter it is a bit longer but I think from now on I'll make them more like the rest anyway thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy. Also I'm in need of beta readers if anyone's interested please pm me.
Natsu and Mira had been wondering down a rugged path for about an hour, it was dark as the sun had set a little while after they left Magnolia and the two shared a sad silence.
"We're going to have to find a place to camp for the night" Natsu spoke breaking the silence. "Sorry it's not gonna be a feather mattress" he joked trying to lift the mood.
"Its ok Natsu I wasn't expecting a five star hotel" Mira giggled. They walked for a few more minutes before coming to a small clearing.
"Here's as good as anywhere" Natsu said dropping his bag heavily on the ground and slumping against a nearby tree.
"Have you thought about where we are going?" Mira asked carefully setting her bag down next to Natsu's a sitting down not to far from him.
"I had a few ideas one was just heading to one of the borders and start a quiet life somewhere out of the way" he said looking up at the star filled sky.
"That's sounds peaceful maybe to peaceful for you" Mira laughed.
"Hey I can be peaceful" Natsu said rising to her bait "Anyway another was just stay in Fiore but people here know who we are ever since the grand magic games"
"We could always visit some of Fiore other guilds" Mira said sensing that her hadn't really put a lot of time into any of his ideas.
"We could but they probably all feel the same as our... I'm mean Fairy tail" Natsu solemnly spoke correcting himself.
"We can at least try" Mira said hopefully.
"For now we'll stay in Fiore and see where that takes us" He replied getting out his sleeping bag.
"OK sounds good" Mira said also getting out her sleeping bag. " You know we're going to have to stay in a hotel from time to time" Mira said smiling looking down at her uncomfortable sleeping bag.
"I suppose it wouldn't hurt but I would like to get further away from her first" Natsu replied laying down on top of the well used sleeping bag.
"OK if you think it is best, can you look away please I need to change?" Mira asked shyly.
"Sure sorry" Natsu quickly turned away from Mira.
"There's no need to apologise" Mira said giggling at how gentlemanly the usually dense man could be.
"Yea it's just instinct at this point the amount of times Lucy has yelled at me to get out of her flat because she needs to get changed" he replied smiling at the memory's.
"You and her were close huh?" Mira asked while changing into her night ware and crawling is inside her bed " Its ok for you to look now" confirming to Natsu it was OK to turn back around
She's one of my best friends" Natsu responded turning back over to look at his companion.
"She was just a friend nothing more?" asked trying to dig into Natsu's relationship with the blonde mage.
"Nah she's nice but I never thought of her as more than a friend" Natsu confirmed.
"But you snuck into her house slept in the same bed" Mira kept probing.
"I was lonely" Natsu whispered quietly but Mira just heard it.
"Natsu" Mira said quietly.
"Its just me and happy most of the time back at my shack I got lonely and Lucy was usually kind so I started sleeping at her place after a while she didn't mind" Natsu explained.
"I never realised" Mira said disappointed in herself that she never saw the loneliness in him she always prided herself in knowing when something was wrong with one of her friends.
"Its ok" Natsu said putting on a fake smile.
"I'm here your not alone" Mira reassured him.
"Thank you" he said changing the smile it a genuine one.
"Its not problem we should probably get some sleep and we'll see which direction to head in the morning" Mira spoke giving him a smile back.
"Yea your right night Mira"
"Goodnight"
In the morning at the guild hall.
Master was pacing back and forth in middle of the guild waiting for the members to start arriving as he was pacing he noticed he was no longer alone in the hall he turned to see Mavis sitting on the bar with a sweet smile on her face.
"First master good morning" Makarov greeted the phantom politely.
"Good morning Master what's got you so tense?" she asked having watched the current Master pace for the last few minutes.
"Its actually something you could help with I need to work out where E.N.D would go?" Master asked knowing The first and her analytical mind.
"Has he awoken again?" Mavis said in a panic.
"No he had left the guild and I need help tracking him" Master replied
"You mean you need help tracking Natsu" she corrected.
"it doesn't matter there the same person" Master said calmly.
"No they are not yes E.N.D lives inside Natsu but they are two different people and from what I've seen this last month Natsu has been in control" Mavis replied looking sternly at the Master.
"He needs to be contained he's a danger to everyone" Master said starting to get annoyed.
"Why did he leave?" Mavis asked trying to ignore the statement Makarov just spoke.
"The guild treated him poorly apparently according to the letter from him and Mirajane"
"Why was he being treated poorly" Mavis said looking down at the man.
"He's a demon not human" Makarov said meeting her stare.
"He's the same man who has always been here I'm ashamed that this guild has forced him to leave" Mavis said with anger in her voice. " At least I can say there's one member staying true to the guilds ways I won't help you" Mavis said sternly as she disappeared.
"Fine we'll find them ourselves" Master said turning away from the first. A shadowy figure stood in the doorway to the kitchen out of sight 'Damn things aren't going as planned" he thought to himself "Its annoying my magic doesn't work on her" as he finished watching the situation he then walk back the kitchen and out the back door.
Natsu awoke to see the mornings first light wiping the sleep from his eyes she looked at his surroundings the once lush green forest was decimated shattered bark lay strewn along charred ash filled ground, Natsu looked around in horror he looked in the direction of Mira to see she wasn't there he carried on looking around and his eyes landed on a body not to far from there temporary camp, he got up and ran in the direction of the body praying as he approached his worse fears were realised as he saw a badly injured Mira laying on the ground. He fell on his knees beside her he quickly checked her pulse but could find one he the put his ear to her chest hoping to hear the beating of her heart, nothing he raised his head up from her chest and pulled her into his arms. "No please Mira wake up please" he begged hugging her with tears falling down his face he then simply screamed in to the air cursing the world.
He bolted awake taking in his surroundings to see the forest still in tact he looked to his side to see a still sleeping Mira oblivious to the world, a silent tear fell down his face 'I can't let that happen ever' he thought sadly to himself he then stood up packed away his sleeping gear and slung the bag over his shoulders "I'm sorry" Natsu whispered to himself "Its just better this way" he took one more look down at the sleeping mage before turning and starting to walk away.
"Natsu where are you going" a voice calmly spoke from behind him, Natsu turned around to see the take over mage sitting up in her sleeping bag.
"I.." he tried to speak but the words couldn't get past the lump in his throat.
"What happened?" she said standing up revealing the nightgown which was light pink and due to the fact they were sleeping outside covered her entire body. She looked at the dragon slayers face to see tears welling up in his eyes. "Was it another dream?" she asked.
"Its was so real" was all his response.
"What happened in the dream was it the guild again?" she asked Natsu shock his head.
"Its was worse I.. I saw you dead" tears started as he remembered the dream.
"Hey I'm still here" Mira reassured him while walking towards him embracing him in a hug as she got close.
"Yea but what if.." he was interrupted by a slap across the face as Mira broke the hug.
"You can't live on what ifs" Mira said with a pricing glare. "I'm not going to die and your not going to lose control you understand me Natsu Dragneel" she said with strength behind her words but he could tell she was trying to be kind as she pulled him in to another hug.
"I'm just so sacred" Natsu admitted.
"I know but you have to trust me and yourself you can do this" she whispered kindly in his ear.
"Well look here boys we have ourselves some prey" a rough voice said stepping from behind a tree laughter could be heard from all around them as they looked they saw they were surrounded by about twenty bandits Mira quickly released the worried dragon slayer and pushed him towards the middle of the clearing. "Looks like she'll fetch a good price" another bandit said.
"What do you want" Mira asked trying to keep an eye on most of the group.
"What we want sweetheart are precious things and don't you just look precious" he answered creepily.
"Take over Satan soul" Mira quickly changed to her reliable take over.
"Oh she's a mage" one of the bandits called, Mira then lunged forward taking out two of the aggressors in an instant before gracefully back flipped to stand back next to Natsu.
"Anyone else" She spoke calmly in her demons voice she looked around to see that the group was still standing confidently she then noticed how they all looked the same from their clothes to a scar on the right check. " So there's only one of you then" she said smirking.
"Aw you found out or little secret" one of the copies spoke then she looked around to see all of the bandits start to split as they doubled as she looked around Tring to find the magic energy of the real mage but couldn't hone in on it in the crowd, each of the bandit copies then each drew a dagger from the back of their belts.
'Damn this is going to be tough' she thought to herself as she looked to Natsu and the panicked expression on his face 'I could try to fly us out but what's to stop him taking from other travellers' she thought but her conscience got the better as she decided to stay and fight. The first bandit plunged his dagger towards Mira who easily countered the attack pushing the attacker back "Soul extinction" as dark energy started to gather at the palm of her hands as she sent a wave of magic energy at a large group standing in to the side, it blasted them over as they disappeared showing none of them was the real mage. She could feel the magic energy of the real mage but it was constantly in the move it was at this moment a small group leapt up I to the air which distracted her from the real threat charging from behind her and towards an unsuspecting Natsu it was at the last moment Mira just heard the movement and swiped at the grounded bandit which knocked him back but the blade left it's mark on her arm leaving a deep cut, but the demons attention had to quickly change back to the group in the air who were now starting their decent. The fight went on for a while with Mira always on the defensive never straying to far from Natsu knowing he had no real way to defend himself, she had multiple cuts and scratches all over her body and she was starting to tire.
"What's wrong where's all that confidence gone" the bandit spoke cockily, Mira didn't respond she just kept her senses about her trying to keep track of all targets. "Fine then I'll guess I'll end this" a large group started to charge from her left side but at the same time another launched into the air from the front and back Natsu saw this and panicked.
'what is she going to do if she wasn't so busy defending me she could of easily beat these guys' he was quickly snapped out of his thoughts when he saw a lone copy sneaking in from the right side while Mira was distracted by all attackers he wanted to shout to her but that would just draw her attention away from the other threats, for a moment Natsu froze watching in slow motion as the fight unfolded around him suddenly without thinking he launched himself and a fist at the sneaking copy it quickly made contact with the offenders face it was then Natsu realised what he was doing his fist was on burning crimson and it badly burned the duplicate before in disappeared he then looked over to Mira who had quickly dealt with the other attackers.
"Natsu your hand" Mira said in shock.
"Yea" he said staring at his hand he couldn't feel any trace of E.N.D taking over no voice no lose of control of his body he then ignited his other hand and turned to a group that had duplicated in front of him. "Now your gonna pay for hurting someone I care about" he voice was thick with anger he then sensed where the real mage he was still moving around towards the back "Now let's fight him together" he said turning to face Mira and giving her a small smile, Mira's demon form just smirked as she took of hovering a few feet from the ground with renewed vigour
"Darkness steam" Mira said shooting a small line of energy towards the only other magic source which must of hit because she heard a shout of pain but he was still on the move "Natsu is there anything you can do to thin there numbers quickly?" Mira asked looking down at Natsu who at this point was cleaving his way through a small group.
"There is one thing I could try but you'll have to stand close " he said jumping back away from the group Mira quickly compiled as she stood back to back with him gripping his hand for a moment to show she was there " Fire dragons king mode" Natzu spoke "Fire dragon kings detonation" as he finished chanting a shell of fire surrounded him and Mirajane, she could feel the heat but it wasn't overpoweringly hot it was a comforting heat it the expanded outwards engulfing the duplicates one by one the real mage saw the spell heading towards him and started to run away from it but it was at this point that the injury that he had sustained a few minutes before flared as his leg gave way under him as he was powerless to stop it's advance, thankfully or so he thought the spell stopped just before it reached him and it dissipated reviling the two mages standing there loving over him he was about to speak but before he had the chance his face meet with a flaking fist knocking him unconscious.
"Well that was easy" Mira said giggled undoing her take over.
"Thank you" Was Natsu's only response as he turned to face her with a kind expression
"What for it should be me thanking you after all you saved me" she said smiling sweetly at him.
"Yea but you would of never been in this situation if it wasn't for.." he tried to say.
"Just focus on the important thing like the fact you can use your magic" she interrupted she hated seeing Natsu like this, he kept blaming himself for things that were out of his control.
"Focus in the important things" he whispered to himself while sparking embers at his fingertips "OK I will" he spoke up as hugged Mira, she was shocked for a few moments she before she returned the hug "I'll focus on you" he whispered in to her ear. She was shocked to hear the words 'what did he mean by that does he feel the same way' she was then dragged out of her thoughts.
"Sorry to interrupt" a familiar voice said from above them they both broke the hug and looked up to see Master Mavis standing above them with a serious expression "But I have some bad news"